Skip to main content
Donate

Up Next

How Harvard Discovered It Has an Original Copy of the Magna Carta

How Harvard Discovered It Has an Original Copy of the Magna Carta

Video
3:13
The Next Big Earthquake Could Sink Parts of the Pacific Northwest

The Next Big Earthquake Could Sink Parts of the Pacific Northwest

Video
5:08
This Discovery Rewrote Human History

This Discovery Rewrote Human History

Video
2:50
This Was One of the First Known Human Ritual Sites

This Was One of the First Known Human Ritual Sites

Video
2:41
Signs of Life on Mars? NASA's Discovery, Explained

Signs of Life on Mars? NASA's Discovery, Explained

Video
3:38
How Did Early Humans Hunt Monkeys?

How Did Early Humans Hunt Monkeys?

Video
2:54
At the Edge of Extinction, These Neanderthals Were Cannibalized

At the Edge of Extinction, These Neanderthals Were Cannibalized

Video
2:59
Did Homo sapiens and Neanderthals Interbreed?

Did Homo sapiens and Neanderthals Interbreed?

Video
2:59
Would You Face a Bear With a Spear? Ancient Humans Might Have

Would You Face a Bear With a Spear? Ancient Humans Might Have

Video
3:06
This Is Where the First Alphabet Was Born

This Is Where the First Alphabet Was Born

Video
3:05
Göbekli Tepe: The 11,500-Year-Old Mystery That Rewrote History

Göbekli Tepe: The 11,500-Year-Old Mystery That Rewrote History

Video
2:47
How Astronauts Avoided Disaster Building the International Space Station

How Astronauts Avoided Disaster Building the International Space Station

Video
4:30
Back to Show
NOVA

The Science of Scratch-Offs: What Your Brain Can’t Resist

Scratch-off tickets are big money for state-run lotteries. Is it the promise of winning big that keeps players in the game? Or is there something else happening in the brain?
Support Provided By
Can We Cool the Planet?
53:31
Season 47 Episode 16
Can We Cool the Planet?
Scientists look to geoengineering and other methods to cool the planet.
Nature's Fear Factor
53:21
Season 47 Episode 9
Nature's Fear Factor
Can bringing predators—and fear—back into an ecosystem help restore its natural balance?
Cat Tales
53:21
Season 47 Episode 3
Cat Tales
Goddess, demon, house pet? What does science say about the human relationship with cats?
Polar Extremes
1:52:46
Season 47 Episode 1
Polar Extremes
Paleontologist Kirk Johnson explores the dynamic history—and future—of ice at the poles.
Decoding da Vinci
53:30
Season 46 Episode 21
Decoding da Vinci
Discover the science behind Leonardo da Vinci's masterpieces—and Mona Lisa's iconic smile.
Why Bridges Collapse
Unlock with PBS Passport
53:25
Season 46 Episode 18
Why Bridges Collapse
Can new engineering techniques help prevent deadly bridge collapses?
Rise of the Mammals
53:15
Season 46 Episode 17
Rise of the Mammals
Amazing fossils reveal how mammals took over after an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs.
Back to the Moon
Unlock with PBS Passport
53:32
Season 46 Episode 11
Back to the Moon
Discover why scientists and entrepreneurs alike have their sights set on the Moon again.
The Next Pompeii
Unlock with PBS Passport
53:22
Season 46 Episode 6
The Next Pompeii
In the shadow of Vesuvius and Pompeii, a lesser-known volcano puts Naples at risk.
Rise of the Rockets
Unlock with PBS Passport
53:34
Season 46 Episode 5
Rise of the Rockets
New technologies are promising a new renaissance in space travel.
Decoding the Great Pyramid
Unlock with PBS Passport
53:23
Season 46 Episode 4
Decoding the Great Pyramid
New archeological evidence shows the stunning engineering of the Great Pyramid of Giza.
Einstein's Quantum Riddle
53:51
Season 46 Episode 2
Einstein's Quantum Riddle
Join scientists as they grab light from across the universe to prove quantum entanglement.
Show more
Active loading indicator